1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the medical arts. In particular, it relates to a model for studying hepatitis C virus and for a method for preparing the model.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The use of heterologous transplants in a host has found wide application in research and therapy. The ability to transplant tissue from one host to another allows for opportunities of scientific investigation which are not available in the source host. For example, it has proved possible to create chimeras from severe combined immunodeficiency ("scid/scid" or "SCID") mice host and human donors for studies of the organ-specificity of metastatic malignance and functions of human leukocytes. However, no validated animal models for the expression of hepatitis C virus ("HCV") have been reported.
There has also been reported the grafting of xenogeneic tissue beneath the renal capsule of immunocompromised mouse hosts. However, the renal capsule as a site for introduction of xenogeneic tissue has many drawbacks. It is physically difficult to introduce the tissue, so that there is a significant number of failures in producing functional organs. Also, vascularization is not as extensive as one would wish. In addition, the tissue did not maintain a desirable growth pattern. There remains, therefore, interest in being able to develop alternative sites and methods for introduction of xenogeneic tissue into anatomical sites of target hosts.
In particular, there remains a definite need for an in vivo animal model for studying HCV. There remains a further definite need for a method for transplanting leukocyte depleted or relatively large HCV-infected liver tissue samples into the homologous organ. There remains a still further definite need for a method for transplanting xenogeneic HCV-infected hepatocytes that remain viable and morphologically intact in the donor tissue and replicate HCV. The present invention satisfies these and other needs and provides further related advantages.